


"Wait For Me..."

by knightlychika, plumeriafairy14



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 80s Golion name references, Historical AU, Implied Sex Scene, Implied homophobia, M/M, Mild Language, My partner and I worked on this for almost half a year, Non-graphic execution, Past Character Death, Racial slurs, Reincarnation AU, Voltron General Big Bang 2017, WW2, klance, seriously the 1940s SUCKED, so many feels, voltron big bang 2017, we are so proud of this!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2018-12-09 17:26:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11673726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightlychika/pseuds/knightlychika, https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumeriafairy14/pseuds/plumeriafairy14
Summary: Do you believe in past lives? Lance certainly does. For as long as he could remember, he was haunted by his past memories as Charles McClain, a soldier in the second world war who fell in love with a kamikaze fighter pilot named Akira. They made an arrangement to escape and run away from the war but unfortunately, they were both caught. With their dying breaths, they swore to find each other again in another lifetime.Come this present life, Lance was dragged to a museum opening by his best friend, Pidge. And as fate worked its mysterious ways, Lance not only found the weapons and the uniforms he used to wear as Private Charles McClain, but he also found the love of his life that was taken away from him 72 years ago.This is a tale of two star crossed lovers and how their love transcended both death and time itself.





	1. Wait For Me

**Author's Note:**

> GREETINGS, IT IS I, THE FAIRY SCRIBE!
> 
> It is my honor to humbly present to you the tale of two people from the opposing sides of war who fell in love in the wrong place and time back in 1945 during the second world war. This is how their love persevered through the rift of time and death itself, only to be reunited on August 1, 2017. 
> 
> It has been my pleasure to work with knightlychika who wasn't just my artist partner, but also my friend. I hope that you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed creating it.
> 
>  
> 
> [Wait For Me Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/plumeriafairy14/playlist/2Gz2E3M4HbVIkLYAfPiNsi)
> 
>  
> 
> Our tumblrs! Come and say hi! 
> 
>  
> 
> [plumeriafairy14](https://plumeriafairy14.tumblr.com)  
> [knightlychika](https://knightlychika.tumblr.com)

 

__

The dream returned that night again and it had been that way for as long as Lance could remember. It was like a broken record the kept repeating with the same eerie details.

*

**_February 14, 1945. Manila Bay, Philippines._ **

_The colors of the sunrise over the bay was beautiful; orange strokes, purplish clouds that faded into dawn and the red that tinged the horizon was like the color of the blood that stained the wet sand beneath his combat boots._

_Pain exploded on Charles’s shin when he was kicked and forced down on his knees. He felt the merciless caress of a gun’s barrel against his head._

_The man who forced him down and held the gun to his head, commander Iverson, said;_

_“Well, well, well... What is this?” A click when the pistol’s hammer was pulled back and a bullet loaded into the barrel. “Private Charles McClain, running away with one of the enemy?”_

_A gun pressed against the back of his head but he didn’t feel afraid despite the death that loomed over him. He didn’t care about himself; he only cared about the raven haired soldier who was force on his knees as well by one of the sentries that captured them._

_“Let him go!” Charles begged. The iron taste of blood filled his mouth. “I don’t give a shit what you do to me, just please let Akira go!”_

_Akira grunted when he was pinned to the ground by the head and the other soldier pressed his boot degradingly on him. “Hey, lieutenant,” the soldier grabbed the collar of Akira’s jacket and to expose an emblem sewn on the breast pocket of his shirt. “This guy’s a member of the Imperial Fleet.”_

_“A kamikaze pilot, eh?” Iverson sneered. “You crazy bastards and your damn planes crashing into our ships... you all deserve to go to hell.”_

_“No, you deserve to go to hell.” Akira gritted, his eyes bright with rage and blood trickled from the wound of his split lip. But then, he gave a loud cry when Iverson quickly moved the gun from Charles’s head to aim it at Akira and fired; the bullet instantly lodging itself into his leg._

_“Akira!” He tried to run to him, but Iverson kicked him on the back and he fell to the ground, breathless and writhing in pain. “No, please! Spare him! Kill me instead! I’m the traitor, not him!!”_

_Iverson was quiet for a moment and the solider holding Akira down watched in realization._

_“Hey commander,” a cruel snicker. “Looks like Charles here has exotic tastes, huh?”_

_“Treason **and** batting for the other team, eh?” Iverson’s voice was quiet but his mouth was overturned into a deep scowl. “How disgusting; you’re a disappointment, McClain. And here I thought that you were one of the best snipers in my battalion.” He turned his attention to his subordinate. “Rolo.”_

_“Yes, sir?” the other answered._

_“Kill the Jap.”_

_“NO!” tears started to sting his eyes and his vision blurred but he couldn’t look away. Not when Akira’s eyes were locked with his from where he laid bleeding on the sand. “Please, please, don’t kill him!”_

_“Charles,” Akira said, his voice shook from the impending death but he tried to smile. “It’ll be okay.”_

_Rolo clicked the safety off and pressed it to the back of his head._

_“I’ll find you.” Akira continued and his voice shook while his words were rushed from trying to get out as quickly as possible because his time was up. “I’ll come back for you so wait for me.” Akira’s voice shook.  “Promise me, Charles…”_

_“Akira...” His tone was heartbreaking and the tears that fell from his eyes streaked the soot and blood that matted his face. “I lo---“_

**_BANG!_ **

_“AKIRA!”_

_Iverson let him go and Charles rushed towards the lifeless body on the ground. But even before he could reach him, another gunshot went off and a terrible pain exploded at the back of his head. He fell to the ground, his arm stretched out towards the Akira’s body that was sprawled before him._

_Their fingers barely even touched the tips of each other’s._

_“Let’s go, Rolo. Leave ‘em for the flies.”_

***

Lance shot up from his bed when his ringtone blared, jolting him from the nightmare. Cold sweat covered his body and his naked torso was so damp that the blanket clung onto his clammy skin. But what got to him were the tears in his eyes. He grabbed his phone to read the name that flashed on the screen;

**‘POODGE CALLING’**

“Mhm, yeah?” Lance groaned and wiped away the tears. “It’s 3 AM, Pidge. Go to sleep.”

_‘ **WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S 3 AM?’**_ Pidge demanded on the other line. **_‘It’s 10 AM! The museum will open in an hour!’_**

“Museum?” Lance racked his brain which was still dull from sleep. “What museum?”

There was a heavy and frustrated sigh from the other line. **_‘The new museum’s grand opening is today. You promised you’ll go with me. I’m already outside your dorm.’_** True enough, there were three loud thumps on Lance’s door when Pidge kicked it from the other side. “Open the damn door, Lance!”

“Oh, shit!” It finally settled in. “Yeah, ‘kay, Pidge! Just give me a tick!”

He jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and grab the nicest smelling shirt and jeans from the hamper. He ended up with a pair of denims and his blue Garrison U jersey shirt. He strode to the door and pulled it open to reveal Pidge standing on the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oops, sorry.” Lance laughed nervously. “I overslept.”

“Mmhmm, right.” Pidge’s tone was deadpanned and she stepped past him to welcome herself in the room. She went to the window and pulled the curtains open.

“GAAAH! My eyes!” Lance quickly shielded his eyes from the glare of the late morning sun. He staggered back a bit and took a moment to adjust his gaze.

“See? It’s definitely _not_ 3 am.” Pidge’s mouth twisted into a teasing grin. “And I’m not going to believe you if you tell me that you stayed up late doing a paper because that shit is questionable.”

“You’re so hurtful! I’ll have you know that I am completely serious about my academic status!” Lance feigned a look of hurt but he wasn’t able to stop the yawn that broke out of him. He rubbed the dark circles around his eyes and his puffy, swollen lids stung.

“Are you sure, you’re okay, Lance?” Pidge suddenly grew serious. “You’ve been like this for the past week and you’ve been falling asleep in class too.”

Lance nodded but he didn’t mention the reason behind his lack of sleep. He’s always had the same dream and he knew it well like the back of his hand but he couldn’t find it in him to admit to one his best friends that he believed that he was alive before. Lance would sound insane to Pidge who was a person of science instead of the supernatural and the irrationality of ‘fate’.

“The air conditioning is broken. It was hot.” Lance lied. He sat on the edge of the bed and put on his shoes. “Maybe I’ll crash at Shiro’s dorm tonight if he’d let me.” Lance thought that his roommate, Hunk, was lucky that he went home for the school holidays.  “But not if Allura is staying over. They have freaky, noisy sex and that’s going to give me even more reason not to get sleep.”

“You can ask him later then.” Pidge piped up. She grabbed Lance by the wrist and started to drag him out impatiently with all the force she had in her small body. “Now, come on! We’ll be late! I want to the first one in when they open the doors to the public!”

“Whoah, slow down there!” But Lance grinned while he allowed his best friend to tow him.

The bus ride to the museum was utterly uneventful. Pidge happily babbled about how she was looking forward to seeing the science and robotics exhibits.

“This is going to be amazing, Lance!” Pidge exclaimed. “They’re going to debut the Voltron Rover-II Beta prototype to the public!

“The what now?” Lance’s brows furrowed. “I’m not very familiar with that. The NASA exhibits don’t really interest me.”

“Pft, how cultured of you, Lance.” Pidge rolled her eyes and her tone dripped with sarcasm. “It’s _only_ the latest Mars rover they’re developing right now. They’ll hopefully launch in in 2020 when it’s complete.”

“Ohhh.”

“What interests you anyway?” Pidge asked and Lance looked back at her from where he stared out the speeding scenery outside.

“It’s going to sound weird,” He replied, distant and unsure. “But I’m really interested in the World War 2 exhibit. I’ll take a look at that instead.”

“Which theater?”

Lance took a moment to respond and something churned in his gut as he remembered his recurring dream. “The Pacific one.” One of the reasons Lance agreed to go with Pidge was because of the nagging feeling he had that he _should_ come along. That maybe, just maybe, he’ll finally get his answers if not a lead clue to the reason behind it. This person in his dream, Lance had never met him in this lifetime but the feeling was so familiar and the connection was deep. It felt as if...they were lovers. And even if there was a possibility that this was all a wild goose chase and Lance was crazy, at least he kept his promise. Bits and snippets of an old memory flashed in his mind that made Lance’s heart yearn for this person.

For this Akira. His Akira.

The circumstance they met in wasn’t really romantic, as a matter of fact, it was the complete opposite of that; He almost shot Akira at first.

*

**_ February 4, 1945 _ **

_Private Charles McClain peered through the lens of his scope while he laid flat on his belly on top of an abandoned church. His troops, the Allies, were able to infiltrate the enemy stronghold in Manila and the battle had turned to their favor._

_Of course, the price was huge; the beautiful city of Manila was bombarded with aerial attacks. The beautiful Spanish inspired buildings were flattened to the ground and bodies of both the innocents, his comrades’, and the enemy, littered the streets._

_Once in a while, Charles would see a family trying to evacuate the city from his vantage point. Sometimes they made it out of the city safely while Charles shot the enemy that attempted to kill them when he covered the evacuees from his bell tower.  However, Charles couldn’t save everyone and he had to squeeze his eyes shut when carnage erupted and fresh blood stained the pavements below. Unfortunately, Charles couldn’t shut his ears and block the cries of dying screams._

_Even if his eyes were tired, his vision was sharp as a predator’s. He saw a movement at the corner of his eye and spied a man donning the uniform of the enemy dart behind a fallen boulder. Charles pressed himself flatter on his belly and his index finger caressed the trigger of his sniper rifle. But then, he was distracted by the sound of a child’s cry. Charles moved his weapon slightly to the right and his chest was swallowed by dread when he saw a little girl in the middle of the street. She looked like she was barely five. Her cotton blouse was stained with mud and soot but she didn’t appear to be wounded. However, she was very terrified._

_The figure reappeared from his hiding spot and Charles realized that the soldier was heading towards the child. Charles felt anger bubble through his veins and his thumb flipped off the gun’s safety with a slow, soft click._

_Then suddenly, the soldier stopped in his tracks and looked up at him;_

_Pale skin smeared with soot and dried blood. Raven hair. Dark and oddly beautiful eyes._

_Charles felt frozen in place and he wasn’t sure whether it was from the fear of being spotted from his hiding place or being taken back by the other man’s beauty._

_But soldier kept moving and Charles realized a little too late that the other man had reached the child. He gritted his teeth and shook his head back into focus; if this bastard harms one hair on that kid’s head, he’ll shoot him on the skull._

_But instead of what Charles expected, the enemy did the opposite. He crouched by the child’s side and pressed his fingers against his lips in a gesture of silence. When the girl didn’t stop crying, he reached into his breast pocket and took a piece of candy. Her crying was reduced to sobs and accepted the sweet when the man gave it to her. Charles watched the man’s lips move and he squinted to try to form the words he said._

_‘…Won’t hurt you. Where…Family…?’_

_The little girl just stared at him with wide teary eyes, and the man’s shoulders slumped in defeat. When his lips moved again, Charles no longer understood what he said;_

_‘Inay…? Itay…?’_

_The girl’s expression lit up a bit and when she pointed towards the nearby river, Charles knew that the man spoke to her in a language she understood._

_For some reason, Charles felt captivated when he got a full view of his target’s face again. He felt drawn in by those soft features and he stared at him like he was the most fascinating thing in this world of rubble and shells casings below. Even so, Charles didn’t let his guard down and his finger hovered over the trigger. Sweat trickled down the side of his face and he felt his heart speed up when the soldier disappeared behind a canopy of trees with the little girl._

_Charles waited in deathly silence. He assumed the worst while he kept his eye on the trees to wait for the soldier to emerge with fresh blood on his hands. True enough, he did but he his hands were dry and he didn’t bear any sign of struggle. Charles couldn’t believe what he was seeing, that Axis soldier actually helped a civilian._

_“I thought they were ordered to kill anyone on si---“ Charles ducked his head when gunfire erupted from below. He was careful to keep back in the shadows and when he peered through his binoculars which hung around his neck, he saw that the opposing troops exchanged bullets with each other. Since Charles was low on the supply of ammunition, he had to conserve what he had with him until his reliever arrived._

_BAM!_

_Charles’s hand immediately when to his side firearm and pulled it out from the holster on his hip when he heard the wooden door of the bell tower slam shut. His blood ran cold as ice in his veins when he realized two things;_

_One, someone else was in the tower with him._

_Two, if it’s the enemy, it’s a shoot or be shot situation unless he was blessed with a miracle and he manages to slip out unseen._

_He was going to have to abandon his rifle if he wanted to make out of the tower undetected._

_“Shit.” Charles muttered when he unclipped the magazine and counted his bullets. Ha had eight in the clip, one in the barrel, and another 8 in his reserves. Seventeen bullets should be enough for him unless there was more than one downstairs._

_He tried to calm himself before he opened the door and Charles tasted blood as he chewed on his inner cheek. He mustered quiet footsteps as much as he could and started to descend the wooden spiral staircase._

_Charles pressed himself against the stone wall and listened; he heard labored breathing from the other side of his hiding place and it was just one. He knew that he had the advantage here because he could just step out of the shadows and pull the trigger, so he did._

_The trigger went halfway through until Charles felt something sharp and cold press against his neck while he was shoved painfully against the stone wall. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he became aware of the warm trickle of blood where the katana was pressed against his skin._

_Charles stood there frozen as his blue eyes locked with dark mesmerizing ones._

_“I can slit your throat faster than you can pull the trigger.” The words were heavily accented but nonetheless, they spoke the truth that he can really cut Charles’s throat with a single movement._

_“Oh, yeah?” Charles managed to smirk as he continued to look into those oddly beautiful eyes. It was the same soldier who helped that little kid earlier but Charles saw that his uniform was stained with blood on his left arm._

_“You think you can do it before you bleed to death?” he continued to taunt and he knew that it was idiotic to do so, but he just couldn’t resist it._

_“Do you want to find out?” the soldier asked darkly and pressed his sword harder against Charles’s neck._

_“Y-You’re hurt.” Charles croaked out, his throat dry as desert and his heart was running a hundred miles per hour._

_“So what?”_

_“You helped that little girl. I saw you.”_

_The other man became deathly quiet and Charles felt the katana on his neck pull back slightly. “Why were you watching me?”_

_“With a pretty face like yours, who can resist?” Charles smirked with a wink and he was amused when those dark eyes widened. But then he found himself pressed harder against the wall and the unforgiving blade bit into his neck again. Charles couldn’t even swallow his fear because whenever he tried, his adam’s apple hit the lethal edge of the blade._

 

__

 

_“Shut up, you son of a bitch---!” Charles was either hallucinating from the tension or he was one hundred and fifty percent sure that he just made the guy blush._

_“Are you going to let yourself bleed to death or are you going to sit your ass down and let me patch up your arm?”_

_“What?”_

_“You heard me,” Charles replied. “I’ll patch up your wound. A life for a life for that little girl you saved.”_

_Charles gulped in a breath when the solder stepped back but he did not sheath his sword and he also noticed the way the fingers of his injured arm twitched over the handle of his concealed pistol._

_“Look, man,” Charles said after he gestured around him. “We’re in a church, see? Why don’t we have a temporary truce while we’re in here? I’ll patch up your arm and in return, you won’t kill me.”_

_“Why should a trust you?” The soldier’s eyes narrowed behind raven bangs that clung on his sweat slicked forehead._

_“Because I’m obviously the one with the first aid kit.”_

_Charles smiled wearily when the other soldier sheathed his sword and lowered his weapon on the floor and he mirrored the gesture by slowly crouching without taking his eyes off the other and he placed his gun on the pavement._

_“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Charles shrugged and reached behind the small of his back to retrieve a small pouch with first aid supplies._

_“Wait!” the other soldier exclaimed but Charles raised a hand out in front of him to calm him down._

_“I’m taking out my first aid, okay? Calm down, I’m not going to shoot you! We have a truce, remember? Now sit down.”_

_The wound was pretty bad when Charles helped the other man remove his jacket. He knew that this guy was caught in the crossfire earlier because he was unscathed when Charles saw him with the girl._

_“Do you know whose bullet hit you?” he asked but the soldier shook his head._

_That was the point out there; no one really cared who was in the middle. If you get caught in the crossfire, you die. It’s just collateral damage for those engaged on either side since they can always recruit more men from back home._

_There was an awkward silence between them as Charles’s long fingers skittered around while cleaning the blood off and sterilizing the wound with the little whiskey he had left in his flask. It wasn’t the best remedy but it’s better than filthy water. Charles noted that this guy was pretty well built with lean muscles and a thin build that allowed him to move flexibly and dart around quickly._

_Charles secured the knot and draped the jacket over the other’s bare shoulders. There was an awkward silence between them as they sat in the cool darkness of the bell tower. Outside, the rapid gunfire had seized but there were still shots that came from either side which meant that the showdown wasn’t over yet. If the two of them went out, they’ll get shot and if not, get interrogated as to why two soldiers from opposing forces came out together._

_“Uhm, the name’s Charles, by the way.” Charles blurted out and offered his hand to the soldier. “Charles McClain. Second battalion.”_

_“Akira.” The other replied and shook Charles’s hand firmly and for a moment there, their touch lingered. “I’m a fighter pilot for the 26 th Imperial Fleet.”_

_***_

“Wow, that’s a lot of people!” Pidge’s voice pulled Lance out of his trance while he blankly watched the passing scenery on the other side of the window. The bus pulled over to their stop which was luckily just across the street from the museum. When the two of them got off, one of the head curators was already giving a speech on the podium while cameras and reporters for the local newspapers asked questions from where they stood in the crowd of people.

“Why did you want to go to the opening when we could go when there are less people?” Lance asked with a frown. “It’s going to be impossible to enjoy the museum with that much people flocking around, Pidge.”

“Oh, believe me, I hate people too.” Pidge grimaced but that was quickly replaced by an excited grin. “But the renowned professor Ryner will give a speech! She’s like… my hero!”

“Oh, you mean that brilliant engineer you kept talking about?”

“Exactyl!” Pidge happily skipped a step while she and Lance made their way to the crowd. “She’s going to tell about the latest updates on the Rover-II Beta! Isn’t this cool?!”

“Oh, yeah, totally.” Lance nodded a little too eagerly. “While you’re doing that, I’ll probably be at the snack stand or checking out cuties.”

“I thought you wanted to see the World War 2 exhibit?”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the other sights around here!”

“Fair enough.” Pidge shrugged with a sigh. “Could you get me a hotdog later? I’ll pay ‘ya.”

“Sure, dude.” Unlike Pidge’s interest in futuristic robotics, Lance liked to dwell in the past more. He wanted to find out what really happened to him and if all of those dreams he’d been having for as long as he could remember were all real.

“Oh holy shit, her speech is starting! I’m going to go in the mosh pit, bro!” Pidge pointed excitedly when a gentle-faced older woman stepped up on the podium.

“Hey, don’t let me stop you.” Lance shrugged with a smile. “Go do your thing, I’ll wait for you at the hotdog stand after I take a look inside too.”

“Got it!” Pidge quickly took out her phone and opened her camera before she hurriedly squeezed through the seams of the crowd and Lance was left alone to stand at the back. He was about to sit on a bench and play a game on his phone when he caught a darkly clad figure move from the corner of his vision.

Dark hair. Pale skin. The same one from his dreams.

*

_“Charles.”_

_“Yeah?” Charles swallowed the lump in his throat at the way Akira’s voice dropped an octave deeper._

_“If this is the last time we’ll ever meet, I’d like to thank you… for my arm and for the nice company.”_

_“No problem.” Charles found himself nodding. “It’s no problem at all.”_

_Akira carefully twisted the knob and pushed the door open. The smell of gunpowder and dust wafted into the tower while specks of debris danced in to reflect the sunset that painted the sky outside. Was it already that late? Charles didn’t notice it and it felt like time sped by while he spent the afternoon with this stranger he was meant to kill._

_And to make things even more odd, Charles kind of liked Akira and admitted it to himself that he enjoyed his company as well._

_“Hey, Akira?” he interrupted just as Akira was about to leave and the other looked over his shoulder in silent inquiry._

_“I know our truce ends once you step foot outside.” Charles made effort to contain the strange bashfulness he felt as his fingers reached up to rake through his dark brown hair. “But uh, I…I just get this feeling that this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing each other.”_

_“We’ll see.” Then, Akira was gone._

_***_

 

Lance was knocked back into reality when a kid bumped into him and he realized that he had stiffened, too shocked to move. He forced himself to lift his head and follow the man but the moment that he looked up, the other had already slipped inside the museum. Lance’s heart pounded in his chest manically and blood roared in his ears. His mind scrambled for answers but his cognitive function had already short circuited.

However, Lance’s heart was practically screaming him to run after the person.

Lance knew it in his heart; he loved him and he still did. His heart yearned for Akira despite the insanity that his dreams meant nothing and that he was running after some fantasy. But no, Lance was sure. Lance was sure that what he felt and everything that happened before were all real and that was why he was so desperate to find Akira again.

“Fuck, I have to move.” Lance gritted to himself and forced his legs to work. He took a step and then another until he broke out into a full run inside the museum. He earned strange looks from other people and Lance was sure that one of the guards hollered after him not to run but he didn’t listen. If this was finally the time in history that he would see Akira again then he wasn’t going to lose it.

It was strange; Lance had never been to this place but it felt like he knew where to go. It felt like there was a natural pull that led him to the right direction which he followed desperately. He strode up the stairs, not bothering to take the elevator since it would only slow him down. His long legs skipped one or two steps at a time to get there faster and when he ended up in an empty corridor that led to an exhibit room, his heart was racing laps in his chest.

Lance walked into the exhibit room and everything came rushing back to him when he saw the World War 2 memorabilia that filled the room; old weapons, black and white photos, canons, old uniforms fitted on faceless mannequins, terrain models, and rusty blades.

His feet carried him slowly into the room and his wide blue eyes scanned the whole room. Lance’s veins hummed with familiarity; if he could pick up one of those rifles right this moment, he could shoot a moving target from the other building with precision.

Lance saw a dummy sniper rifle propped up on a stand for museum holders to use so that they could get the feel of the antique weapon. When he went over and picked it up, Lance held it like an expert despite not being able to use one before. He peered through the mock scope to aim it on a target across the room and even if it was far away, Lance marked it well in his sight and he felt it in his gut that if this thing was real, he could put a bullet right in the middle.

_‘And you were one of the best snipers I know.’_ A chill ran down Lance’s spine when Iverson’s voice rang through his ears. He felt sick to his stomach when he remembered the vague iron scent of blood along the salty wind of the bay and the dark sand stained with crimson. He placed the dummy rifle back on the stand and took a step back.

“Shit.” Lance roughly raked his long tanned fingers over the tuff of his hair until they brushed his undercut. “They’re real. They’re all fucking real…!”

When Lance spotted an old Springfield 1911 A1 pistol displayed in a glass case, the visual triggered a memory;

*

_Their next meeting came nine days later after the first. Charles was tasked with retrieving a crate of supplies at a drop off point by the river. It wasn’t that long of a walk from camp but it was still quite a distance to set off on foot. He was with a group of four soldiers in which three had dispersed to secure the perimeter while Charles went in to retrieve the crate._

_Charles pushed aside the low lying branches of the canopy of trees as he made his way into the heart of the clearing. When he looked up towards the glare of the noon sun, he shielded his eyes and sighed. This little mission was less exciting but Charles appreciated the change of pace because he was getting tired on laying low on top of a tower while he shot people._

_Suddenly, he heard a twig snap from the direction where the cargo was supposed to be. His heckles rose and his hand immediately went to rest on the handle of his pistol. Charles carefully pressed his back against a nearby tree and used the shadow of the thick vines and branches while he crept closer. This was wrong; he was the only one who was supposed to be at the center position while the others secured the perimeter around the area._

_He pulled out his gun from its holster and said a silent prayer as he undid the safety. Charles stepped out and aimed his weapon at the man who was bent over the crate that he was prying open. Then, he smirked;_

_“I knew we’d see each other again.” Charles said and there was an audible click when he pulled back the hammer of the gun in preparation to shoot. “Hands in the air, pretty boy.”_

_Akira became still but he stood up straight and did not budge; his back towards Charles._

_“I said, hands up and turn around.”_

_“Weren’t you supposed to shoot me the first time we met?” Akira raised his hands in surrender after he dropped the crow bar and carefully turned to face Charles. Breath hitched in his throat because those enigmatic eyes and that pretty face were as stunning as the last time Charles laid eyes on them._

_“Yeah, well, maybe you won’t be so lucky this time.” Charles motioned at the crate. “Care to tell me what the fuck you’re doing?”_

_Silence._

_“Not talkin’, huh?” Charles frowned. “You know, I can shoot you.”_

_“Then shoot.”_

_“You’re fucking kidding me?”_

_“I’m not.” Akira replied, deadpanned. “It’s bound to happen.”_

_Charles studied Akira with a look of frustration but he didn’t lower his guard and kept his weapon aimed at the other. “Look, pal,” he huffed. “I really like your company and I don’t want to kill you. So just tell me what you’re doing with my team’s supplies and maybe I can reconsider.”_

_That statement sparked a reaction from Akira and his eyes widened. “This is yours?”_

_“Damn right it is.” Charles replied with a scowl. “It’s our food for the next few weeks.”_

_“Oh.”_

_Charles was really confused now. “Okay, now I just don’t get it anymore---Hey, I said hands in the air!”_

_But Akira didn’t listen and lowered his arms to his side. “I’ll abort this mission then. I’ll find something else to sabotage.”_

_“Seriously, tell me what the hell is going on, Akira.” Charles pushed the question and he was irritated now. “What are you doing?” He was still careful to keep his voice down because if he didn’t, one of his companions would hear and right now, Charles didn’t want to deal with that or have his strange ‘friend’ shot upon sight._

_Akira heaved a sigh and there was a moment of silence while he contemplated. He glanced at the shoulder Charles tended to back then. “I was reassigned in stealth for the time being after my failed areal mission. Right now, I’m supposed to find dropped crates like this and compromise the food or supplies inside.”_

_“So, you’re going to poison us?”_

_“I was.” Akira replied as he held Charles’s glare then he turned away and muttered. “But not anymore. Not if this is yours.”_

_Charles lowered his weapon and Akira didn’t move from the spot where he stood. Why would this guy disobey orders like that? If Charles did the same, he’d be jailed or deported for treason or worse, executed. Because why would they waste space in containing him? It’ll only take one piping hot bullet to the skull, a shallow ditch, and a letter sent back home to tell his family that he was killed in action._

_But here was Akira, openly disobeying._

_“You’re letting your enemy live, Akira.” Charles shifted his weight from one foot to the other and planted one hand on his hip. “If your superiors found out…”_

_“They won’t.” The other interrupted. “Like I said, I’ll leave this one alone and find something else.”_

_“But---“_

_“Look, you saved my life back then.” Akira’s eyes locked with Charles and it felt as if his whole body froze. He felt his throat go dry and his heart sped up while it banged against the wall of his chest. “No one… actually tried to do that before so…” Akira cleared his throat. “Consider this as my gratitude for that.”_

_Charles opened his mouth to say something when they were interrupted by a voice from the distance._

_“All clear!”_

_The two of them stared at each other on horror. It wasn’t long when they started to hear heavy footsteps approaching the clearing and a male voice called out again._

_“Hey, McClain! Where are you?”_

_“Shit!” Charles hissed and strode over to where Akira was and grabbed him by the wrist. When Akira started to protest, Charles quickly pressed his finger against his lips in a gesture of silence. “Shhh..”_

_He dragged Akira behind a fallen tree overrun by vines and they hid underneath the shadow of the moss along a huge cavity by the trunk’s thick roots. Three men emerged from the other end of the clearing who all donned the same camo uniform as Charles with a small flag of the US sewn on the breast pocket. They looked around the clearing and Charles felt his stomach grind with a sickening feeling of dread; if they find him with Akira, there will be hell to answer but if the two of them are having a bad day, the only thing they’ll be answering to is hot lead._

_“Do you think McClain got lost?” one of them asked. “I don’t see him anywhere.”_

_“Maybe he missed this place?” the other said._

_The last person, a hulking male with broad shoulders and an eye patch ground his teeth against the cigarette between his lips. “No signs of blood,” he grunted. “Not even a struggle. This place is clean.” He shook his head and with the way he carried himself and stood out told that he held rank._

_“Commander Iverson,” one of the younger privates said. “What should we do? We can’t afford to burn daylight here.”_

_“Don’t you think I know that, Rolo?” Iverson snapped and the young soldier known as Rolo stepped back apologetically. “That damn fool probably got lost. ‘Ya boys sure you gave McClain the right coordinates?”_

_Rolo and his other companion glanced at each other and replied in unison; “Yes, sir!”_

_“Damn it, we don’t have time for this bullshit!” Iverson ran a beefy hand down his leathery face out of frustration. “Rolo, you go look for McClain. And you,” he got the attention of his other subordinate. “Help me with the crate.”_

_The two saluted and carried on with their tasks. The crate was retrieved much faster than Rolo’s search for Charles. With their faces pressed against the mossy ground, Charles turned his head slowly when his position started to cramp his neck and he found himself face to face with Akira, inches apart. Their breathes mingled between them at their closeness and that was how Charles got the best seat in the house to appreciate and drink in every fine, porcelain like detail of Akira’s face. For a soldier out in the battlefield, Akira looked… stunning._

_Akira tore his eyes away and glared at something else but the way his pale cheeks blushed made Charles smirk._

_“Sorry.” He mouthed the word silently and Akira narrowed his eyes at him without a word._

_When the commander and the other guy disappeared down the path they took to get to the clearing, Akira slowly lifted his head from where it was pressed down against the mossy ground._

_“This is my chance, I need to go.” With all the effort, he got up to his feet silently but made sure to stay hunched down to hide behind the low lying branches._

_Charles shot up and grabbed Akira’s wrist once again to stop him momentarily. “Wait!”_

_“What is it?!” Akira demanded while his eyes darted around the clearing and he looked really worried. Of course, Charles understood that they might get caught if they don’t get a move on but he felt like he won’t be able to sleep for a decade if he didn’t speak his mind on what he wanted to say to Akira. “Charles, let me go, I need to get out of here!”_

_“I know.” Charles nodded. “But…But when can I see you again?”_

_Akira gaped at him in disbelief. “What?”_

_“I said, when can I see you again?” Charles repeated the question and his blue eyes grew wide with hope and wonder. “This sounds really strange, but I’d love to see you again.” He glanced around. “In more peaceful conditions, that is. You know, just talk over a couple of smokes? Maybe we can share a flask? I know a guy who runs our supply on---“_

_“Alright, alright,” Akira pulled his hand away and Charles released him. “Meet me on a hill a little west of here at 2100 hours tomorrow night. You can’t miss it.”_

_They heard footsteps and Charles jumped up on his feet and automatically placed his hand on the handle of his gun. Akira’s eyes shifted from side to side in panic and his own hand crawled to the small of his back where his own gun was tucked. He looked around hurriedly and muttered something under his breath that Charles didn’t quite understand._

_“I’ll wait for you for an hour.” Akira said. “If you don’t show up, I’ll expect that you’re dead. Same goes for me, understand?”_

_Charles frowned. “That’s not very positive for a first date.”_

_Akira’s face turned red and his eyes widened momentarily before they narrowed to a glare as they locked with blue ones._

_“Are you blushing?” Charles grinned while he raised an eyebrow in question._

_“NO!” Akira snapped back, obviously lying. “Just, haul your ass up that hill at twenty one fucking hundred hours tomorrow, Charles.”_

_“Okay,” Charles beamed with hopeful excitement. “Wait for me, then.”_

_Without another word Akira turned to leave and he disappeared through the thick shrubs and trees that surrounded the place._

_Charles stood there for a good five minutes while he stared where the raven haired young man with those iridescent eyes vanished. When he finally snapped back in reality, Charles reached up to rake his fingers through his hair and rubbed his nape._

_“Wow.” He breathed. “Just… wow, what a darlin’!”_

_That night, Charles laid awake in his bunk in the barracks back at base camp. The place wasn’t exactly quiet; being with twenty five other men did make the whole place loud with snores and the slurred words of sleep talkers. But Charles’s mind was racing to even care. He planned how he will slip out without being seen or followed tomorrow night. He thought of alternative plans, routes, and excuses if caught sneaking out._

_Charles had to be careful. He might have scored a secret and unlikely date in the last place he expected, but Akira is still the enemy._

_And if they’re caught; they won’t see the dawn of a new day._

_***_

 

The rest of the memories from his past life ran through his mind once again. Old as they may be, they were vivid as sunlight; each word clear and they engraved into the deepest parts of him. Lance approached another glass case which displayed an old flask.

“An embossed eagle with three stars at the bottom.” Lance muttered almost automatically as he picked up at another of the many past memories that he had. His heart pounded in his chest; he swore in his mind that this flask looked familiar to what he—or rather, he as Charles McClain, use to have. When he reached the case, his blood ran cold when he saw that he was right. The flask was old and rusty and just as he predicted, there was a faded embossed eagle at the front with three stars at the bottom.

Lance’s heart pounded at the memory; this flask was his and it was the very same one from that night that he stole away into the night to meet Akira in secret.

*

_Charles hid behind a wooden post that held up a series of barbed wires that served as the first line of defense at the back exit of the camp and his hand consciously patted the holster around his waist. He might be the kind to hit up the moves and flirt, but he was no way dumb. He wasn’t going to walk half a mile to where the hill was located without any means to defend himself. After making sure that the coast was clear, Charles disappeared into the darkness._

_The stars glittered against the dark canvas of night sky and the full moon served as Charles’s light so that he didn’t have to use his torchlight. Along the chorus of the crickets, Charles mentally counted the ticking minutes in his head since he didn’t have a watch. He looked around the surrounding trees while he remained hidden in the shadows as well._

_Snap!_

_Charles’s hand immediately unclipped the little strap that locked down his gun from its holster. His long calloused fingers wrapped around the handle and slightly pulled it out in preparation. Then, he heard a bird’s chirpy whistle._

_Bingo! Too bad there aren’t any birds that sang at night._

_Charles whistled back, mirroring the tune and sure enough, something from the other side rustled and a figure stepped out of the shadows. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw Akira draped in moonlight. His dark hair reflected off the moonbeams making the top strands silver and he wore his aviator jacket along with a thin red scarf around his neck._

_“Hi.” Charles stepped out of his hiding place. “Glad you could make it. You uh… you look swell.”_

_“I’d like to say the same thing.” Akira offered a small smile. “Did you run into any trouble?”_

_“Me?” Charles jabbed his thumb towards himself and grinned proudly. “It was easy. What about you?”_

_“Bearable.” Akira replied. “I’m used to sneaking out from when I was a kid so I didn’t have any trouble doing so.” He paused and motioned towards the foot of the hill. “Come on, we better start climbing.”_

_“Seriously?” Charles’s eyes widened. “Won’t an aircraft spot us?”_

_But Akira shook his head. “It’s not a very high climb. And besides, if you’re talking about our planes, I can assure you that one of the pilots isn’t available right now. Now, stop wasting time, I want to show you something.”_

_The two of them started up the hill and like Akira said, it wasn’t a high climb. One time, Charles tripped over something it made Akira snicker which earned him a ‘Fuck you, Akira’ from the other before he helped him up. When the moon was hidden behind some clouds, Charles took out his torchlight to guide them in the darkness as they walked._

_“Alright, here we are.” Akira huffed as they reached the top._

_At first, Charles didn’t know what Akira wanted to show him since the scenery was pitch black. But then, the clouds parted and the moon came out to illuminate the landscape. Manila bay was a strip of black against the horizon. Beside it was the city were lights from spotlights and barracks shone. But what took Charles’s breath away was the starry dome that hung above them. Charles felt his heart kick when he spotted a shooting star and it disappeared just as quickly where it shot past the moon._

_“Wow.”_

_“I know.” Akira sat down on a fallen log and stretched his legs in front of him. “I came across this place when we set up camp not far from here on the way to our base down south.”_

_Charles sat beside Akira, their shoulders barely centimeters apart. He watched as Akira leaned back slightly and tipped back his head as he watched the sky. And as he did, Charles’s lips slightly parted in awe when he noticed the way Akira’s eyes reflected the gentle moonlight. It was like he basked in it and it was a wondrous contrast to the fiery spirit Charles saw in him when they first met._

_“What made you want to come here?” Charles found himself asking._

_“It’s a nice place to just sit and…think.” Akira replied, still watching the stars. “Every single day, we have to see death and kill who we are ordered to kill. Every waking moment could be our last and we’re so busy with trying to survive for as long as we can that we just stop appreciating the little things.” Akira finally tipped his head back down. “I would be here every night if it wasn’t so far from where I’m staying.”_

_“Where are you staying anyway?” Charles said._

_“That information is classified.” Akira frowned and turned to look at him while Charles shrugged, smiling with surrender._

_“I’m not even going to try and pay you a visit. I’m not that crazy.” His smile mellowed down and he looked up at the sky. “But you’re right, Akira. We don’t have to fight each other.” His tone softened. “At the end of the day, we’re all human… We all just want to go home.”_

_A comfortable silence settled between them then Charles remembered something;_

_“Oh, hold on!” He started to rummage through the pockets of his clothes. He patted and groped but then he frowned. “Shit.”_

_“What’s wrong?” Akira tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Did you forget something?”_

_“That’s the point, I didn’t.” Charles huffed in frustration. “I’m sure I brought a full pack of smokes for us but I think it fell off on the way here.”_

_“Oh, hold on.” Akira started to rummage through his own pockets and then reached into the holster pouch around his waist. Then he took out a foil packet and tapped out the contents into his opened palm. A single cigarette slid out._

_“We can share this, if you want.” Akira offered. “I don’t mind.”_

_For some reason, heat exploded in Charles’s face and it was so sudden that he had to tear his gaze from those alluring iridescent eyes framed by raven bangs. Akira gave him a strange look when he didn’t say anything._

_“Charles?”_

_“S-sure, I don’t mind at all!” Charles blurted out. He fished out a box of matches from his pocket. “Need a light?”_

_“Do the honors.” Akira placed the cigarette between his lips and Charles lit the match while Akira cupped his hand over the flame so that the cold breeze didn’t blow it out. Those dark lashes fluttered shut momentarily when Akira closed his eyes and took a drag._

_“Here.” He said as the handed the cigarette to Charles while he blew out the smoke from his lungs._

_“Thanks.” Charles took it between his lips and he felt his cheeks burn when he felt the wetness of the filter._

_An indirect kiss._

_He squeezed his eyes shut to try and block the thoughts; Charles couldn’t believe this. He had shared so many cigarettes with other people so why did he feel like this with Akira? When his breath hitched, he coughed._

_To distract himself, Charles reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out a flask. On the polished metal was an embossed eagle with three stars beneath it. “I wasn’t able to salvage a whole bottle, sorry.” He offered it to Akira. “My buddy wasn’t the one guarding the whisky stash tonight. And besides,” Charles felt his nerves tingle when Akira took the flask from him and their fingers brushed against each other’s. “I think making the trip home when drunk will get us in trouble, don’t you think?”_

_“Smart.” Akira snorted with a subtle roll of his eyes and unscrewed the cap off the flask. Charles watched him while he took a gulp and he felt mesmerized at the way that pale throat peeked out from his scarf and moved as he swallowed._

_“That’s strong.” Charles said. “Take it slowly.”_

_Akira coughed a bit before he crossed one leg over the over and he took a drag of his cigarette that had burned halfway through. “Last one I had was during my going away ceremony at home—“ he trailed off and Akira lowered the flask from his lips just as a shadow crossed those violet eyes. “Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”_

_Charles’s throat felt dry and he wanted to smack himself to being the root of this topic that opened up. He didn’t really mean to pry, he just wanted to spend time with Akira._

_“How long have you been away from home, Akira?” he asked._

_“Three months.” He replied and turned to face Charles. “And you?”_

_“About the same.” A shrug, but his wide shoulders dropped soon after as he leaned back and tilted his head to watch the stars. Three months doesn’t sound too long for many but for someone like Charles who saw war and death and whose waking moment could be his last, it felt like decades already. “Maybe a couple of weeks earlier than you, I guess.”_

_There was silence but it was comfortable and peaceful before Charles broke the silence again._

_“What’s your family like, Akira? Are you from… what’s that play? Uh…” he paused to rack hi brain for the name of the city he always hears during conversations in the bunker.  “Tokyo? Yeah, are you from Tokyo?”_

_Akira shook his head with faint smile and he briefly glanced at him. Then his eyes turned back to watch the night scenery, his dark hair swaying at the gentle breeze. “I’m from Hiroshima, actually. There are four of us at home;” He replied and his tone shifted to something softer. “my parents and my little brother, Takashi.”_

_“How old is he?”_

_“He’s ten.” Akira replied with a small smile. “He’s a very obedient child and he excels in his studies.” He paused and pulled out a faded and wrinkled black and white photograph from inside his pocket and handed it to Charles. It was a picture of a kind looking middle aged couple who flanked their two children. In the middle was Akira who stood straight like the proud soldier that he is. He was in uniform and he did not smile as he stared straight at the camera. Beside him was a stern looking man primly dressed in a western style suit who kept his hands behind him while he, too, stared at camera._

_Then, there was a woman and her hands peeked out of the sleeves of her kimono and they gently rested on the shoulders of a shorter boy in a black yukata. His smile was gentle and his eyes were looked as if he was too wise for his age. He held a model airplane in his hands while he stood proudly beside his older brother._

_“I noticed the plane.” Charles said, handing back the photo to Akira. “Did he build that?”_

_“He says that he wants to be a pilot too when he’s older.” Akira shook his head, looking displeased. “I don’t want that kind of life for him.”_

_“Hey, now, there’s nothing wrong with being admired---“ but Charles immediately clamped his mouth shut when Akira turned to look at him with solemn eyes. “Oh. I’m sorry, I forgot that you’re a kamikaze pilot.”_

_“It’s alright.” Akira shrugged after he pocketed the photo. “I want to forget tonight, anyway.” A pause and then he said; “What is your family like, Charles?”_

_“Oh, mine?” He took another drag on the cigarette. “Well, my family is pretty much nothing special. I got my mom, my pops, an older sister, and an older brother.”_

_“So, you’re the youngest?”_

_Charles nodded. “They all have families. I’m the amazing uncle who babysits.”_

_“That’s pretty far from using a sniper rifle, Charles.” Akira commented dryly. “I don’t understand why you’d give up a peaceful life like that for the war.”_

_“Propaganda got to me, I guess.” Charles replied but he let his gaze fall to the ground. “And I wanted to prove myself…that I can be useful to my country.”_

_When Charles handed the remaining cigarette to Akira, the other took a long drag before he exhaled longingly. The watched the smoke dissipate into the wind before Akira flicked the filter to the ground and crushed it beneath his boot._

_“I do not blame you at all.” He said and Charles turned to look at Akira when he spoke. “That’s what everyone else thinks.”_

_“Ouch, that’s a pretty blunt blow to a man’s ego, Akira. But you’re right, so that’s two homeruns for you.” Charles took a moment and unscrewed the cap off his flask. He took a drink of whiskey and appreciated the way the liquid hotly burned his throat to kill off the chill in his bones. He squeezed his eyes for a moment to savor the way his veins hummed with the warmth of the liquor._

_“I take that you have a different reason of being out here?” Charles piped in with a quirk of his brow at Akira. “Is this some sense of first born duty or something?”_

_“In a sense.” Akira replied. “I chose to fight in this war so that Takashi doesn’t have to.”_

_“You really love your little brother, do you, Akira?” Charles’s asked gently and his eyes_

_“I do.” The tender doting in Akira’s tone made something inside Charles, melt in affection. “And if I can help make a peaceful world for him, then I will.”_

_Charles fell quiet and felt a bashful burn inside him. For a moment there, he re-evaluated his reasons for signing up for this hellish shit storm of a world war. In the end, he realized that his reasons were selfish; that he wanted to prove himself and be a hero when he comes home instead of fighting for those who cannot fight back._

_“You’re suddenly quiet, Charles.” Akira’s voice was like a fresh of fresh breath in his troubled thoughts. He looked up and found his gaze had locked with dark ones that held moonlight in them. He felt his cheeks burn with the way Akira had leaned in slightly to watch him. Then, he reached up and pressed the back of his hand against Charles’s forehead. “I hope you’re not having a fever. Medicine is scarce out here.”_

_“I’m fine, don’t you worry your pretty ‘lil head.” Charles managed to grin but when Akira flushed a deep red and glared back at him, his grin widened._

_“Or what?” Akira challenged, holding his gaze._

_“I’ll kiss you.” Charles wasn’t able to stop the words before they flowed out of him and Akira stiffened, his dark eyes wide._

_“You sure like to run your mouth.” Akira finally looked away and shook his head but his moonlight kissed cheeks were tinted with a deep pink to them._

_“Oh, yeah?” Charles huffed at the challenge. “Well, bite my ass and watch me!” When Charles moved his hand, his fingers brushed against Akira’s. Face bursting with heat, Charles quickly pulled his hand away while Akira stifled an amused snort._

_“You’d have to do better than that, sharpshooter.” He teased and Charles’s face burned impossibly hotter underneath the moonlight when Akira intertwined his fingers with his._

_“Heh. Like that?” Akira chuckled lowly to himself. His tone mellowed; “It fits.”_

_Charles stared at him with disbelief before he looked away and glared at the moon. “Give me credit; at least I tried, right?” When they returned to watching the night horizon, Charles tried again and his fingers crept to touch the tips of Akira’s. When the other looked at him again, Charles smiled;_

_“If I’m going to die tomorrow,” he told Akira. “I want you to know that I’m really happy that I met you, Akira.”_

_“M-Me too.” Akira stammered. “Me too, Charles.”_

_They decided to end their little meeting and they stood up to stretch their limbs. The moon was high in the sky which meant that it was midnight; if they stayed any longer, they might get caught._

_“Thank you for tonight.” Akira was the first to break the silence. He stood before Charles, his raven locks swayed in the windy night air and his dark eyes were ethereal in the moonlight. “I…I really enjoyed it. It’s not every day that I…meet someone good out here.”_

_“Re-Really?” Charles couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had messed up by losing the pack of smokes he brought and they had to share Akira’s last cigarette and a single flask of whiskey and yet, it was…oddly perfect._

_Charles grinned when Akira nodded. “Not bad for a first date, soldier.”_

_But when the other turned around to leave without another word, Charles felt his body moving on his own and he grasped Akira’s hand. “Akira, wait!”_

_Akira stopped and turned to face him with a look of confusion on his face. “What is it?”_

_Letting everything go, Charles’s hand trailed up Akira’s cheek and tanned fingers brushed against the other’s pale cheek. Akira stared back at him, his eyes wide. His skin became flushed from the cold of the night air and the hot blood that ran to his face._

_“Can I… Can I see you again?” Charles asked, hopeful._

_“Are you insane?” Akira demanded and took a step back to Charles’s disappointment.  “What you’re asking is extremely risk---“_

_But Charles shook his head stubbornly and he pulled up Akira’s hand to cup it eagerly between his. He held it up close to him, his breath fogging in the chilly night air in puffs that brushed against Akira’s pale fingers._

_“I’m a sniper, remember?” he said. “I can hide well! I can visit you so just let me know when and where.”_

_Akira just stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t believe this, you’re impossible!”_

_“Please?” Those eyes were wide, hopeful, and pleading. Charles stared intently at Akira with their fingers linked. Finally, Akira sighed._

_“Fine. Meet me here again in seven days. The same rules and time apply, alright?”_

_A bright grin spread on Charles’s face and despite the fact that it was midnight, it felt like in was high noon when Akira retuned it with a smile. Akira turned around and started to walk away but then, he stopped in his tracks. Charles wasn’t sure what happened, but the next thing he knew, Akira’s lips was on his and they fitted together like they were meant to be there. Their kiss was deep but brief and it sparked a fire inside of Charles that burned brightly in his own inner darkness. It seeped through his veins and warmed his very being while his heart beat loudly in his chest. He returned the kiss and soon, his arms found themselves around Akira’s waist and he tugged him closer to him, holding the other tightly._

_“Don’t be late or I’ll make sure you regret it.” Akira breathed with their lips hovering over each other’s and their hot breaths fogged into the cold air between them._

_“I won’t.” Charles replied gently and he pressed their foreheads together. “So, please, wait for me.”_

_~_

_Charles laid awake that night and stared at the wood of the top bunk’s underside. It was the usual scenario in his quarters but what ran in his mind was different and the churning warmth with his every heartbeat was something entirely new._

_When everyone thought about the dawn of the coming day, Charles was stuck replaying the events of his evening. While the others thought about bullets, bloodshed, and death, Charles only saw a beautiful, enigmatic man who drank whiskey while he watched the stars; who talked so about the desire of peace in a time of war, who loves his little brother so much, and who breathed life into Charles as he kissed him_

_In the slumbering chaos of the bunker, Charles moved his lips silently and whispered the cherished named like a secret prayer;_

_“Akira.”_

_And in that moment, his heart fluttered and warmth bloomed within him. That was how Charles knew that he was in love._

_***_

Lance stepped away from the glass case and squeezed his eyes shut. He counted silently to himself in attempt to regain control over his emotions. That’s right, he and Akira fell in love and they were supposed to run away but life was cruel and fate had other plans.

“Oh, god…” Lance’s breath was trembling and vile churned in his gut. “Oh my fucking god…I… I lost him…”

*

_The old cot was hard and rickety in the small abandoned hut which they had made into their love nest. Akira snuggled on top of Chalres, curled up comfortably as the two of they could afford in the cramped space and their bodies were slick with sweat from the heat of their stolen love making._

_Their breaths that had already calmed down from the heightened gasps of pleasure mingled between them. Their throats were parched from the sticky heat and raspy from the moans they bit down in the dim illumination of the single candle that burned on an upturned can of rations._

_“Charles?” Akira muffled quietly against his chest._

_“Hm?” Charles hummed. His fingers lazily weaved along Akira’s thick raven locks and he twirled a strand of hair around his finger before he repeated the same calming rhythm._

_“Again.” Akira murmured in the darkness and he traced the tip of his finger on the embossed letters of ‘McClain’ on Charles’s dog tag._

_“Again?” Charles asked this time but when he looked down, he was met by those beautiful enigmatic eyes and he was sucked into that ethereal gaze. He chuckled; “We already did it twice, Akira. Have mercy on me.”_

_“Shut up.” Akira gave a soft ‘hmph’. “You should be grateful.”_

_“Why thank you.” Charles chuckled a little bit more loudly and he closed his eyes after Akira shifted up and leaned down to kiss him on the lips. “Alright, one more then we have to go back.”_

_“Then make it memorable, McClain.”_

_“Yes, sir.” Charles smiled and soft shadows on his face from the moonlight and the single candle that burned on the old bamboo table. “You’re so demanding, you’re lucky that you’re attractive.”_

_Akira fell quit and stared deeply into his eyes. Charles saw emotions clash in those in those dark pools and Akira’s dark lashes fanned down, avoiding his gaze. Then finally, Akira pushed off from him and sat up with a sigh._

_“What’s wrong, samurai?” Charles followed suit with his usual endearment for Akira and there was a look of worry on his expression. “Are you alright?”_

_“I’m fine.”_

_“Then what’s wrong, Akira?”_

_It took a couple of deep breaths for Akira to open up. “I,” he forced out. “I have a flight mission tomorrow.” He paused and when he spoke again, his voice was hushed; “I have to lead an aerial attack on the carrier ships that are scheduled to dock at Manila Bay. If you can help it, avoid that place and get to safety.”_

_It was like Charles’s whole world crumbled before him and his heart shattered in his chest. A flight mission could only mean a suicide attack and since Akira was a kamikaze pilot…_

_“N-No…!” The word slipped past Charles’s lips and he reached out to cup Akira’s face with shaking fingers. “Akira, Akira, no, you can’t…you can’t go… You’ll--- You’ll---!”_

_“I know, I’ll die.” Akira’s tone was quiet in the darkness that suddenly felt so suffocating for Charles. “It’s my purpose, it’s what I was trained to do.”_

_“To fucking hell with that!” Charles snapped a little too loudly and he grabbed Akira by the shoulders to make the other face him. “You hold your life, Akira! You don’t have to do this!”_

_“Do you think that I don’t know that!?” Akira argued back and slapped Charles’s hands away. “I know that I’m worth at least something! I…I can’t die, not right now and certainly not tomorrow!” he lowered his voice again and he stared at his hands that were curled into fists over his bare thigh._

_“If I die,” Akira continued. “Then I will lose all of this…I don’t want that, Charles!” Their eyes met and they were both sheened with tears. Akira sniffed and stubbornly wiped the big drops of tears that finally fell. “I have so much to lose now.” He reached to hold Charles’s hand that was pressed against his cheek and he nuzzled against the callused palm. “I’ll lose Takashi… I’ll lose you!”_

_Eyes seas of emotion, Charles stared at Akira with a slight gape._

_“I’m going to run away.” Akira finally said when he pulled back and wiped his tears again. “I know that it is treason and that I’ll be killed if I’m caught, but at least I have a chance to escape. Do you want to come with me?”_

_“I do.” Charles finally found his voice; it cracked for a moment but soon, it was filled with steely determination. “We can run away somewhere and hide in the meantime. We can wait out the war.”_

_“But where?”_

_Charles was silent for a while and he habitually twiddled with his thumbs while he thought. Then, it hit him; “A supply ship is scheduled to leave tomorrow early morning for Subic Bay.” He replied. “We can stowaway in that and hide up north. There are a lot of thick forests and mountains in the Zambales province from what I’ve heard.”_

_Akira weighed the odds when he turned quiet this time. Then he said; “Alright. Let’s meet tomorrow at the pier two hours before sunrise. Don’t be late.”_

_“I won’t.” Charles smiled and pulled Akira close to him. “Wait for me.”_

_“You already know by now that I will, private McClain.” Smiling, Akira leaned in and kissed Charles again. “Now, I’m pretty sure I want to do it again.”_

_It was a night of bliss and passion but it had been their last for death greeted them at dawn._

_***_

“You have got to be kidding me.” Lance breathed. All of this, it was all too vivid to be just dreams. Lance saw his flask and he was sure that he had used one of the guns in the display case. Lost in the turmoil from the realization that his guttural feeling was certainly real, Lance went to another section of the exhibit room, searching for something.

Then he finally found it as he stood in front of a wall of faded black and white photographs. There were a lot of moments in that dark time that were captured and preserved for future generations to see; crumbled buildings, wounded and dead soldiers, fighter planes, cargo ships on fire, and pretty much every horror that could ever exist in war.

Lance started to scan each photograph until he reached the category that displayed group photos taken as memorabilia. His lips moved soundlessly while he looked at each photo, and then…

**26 th Imperial Fleet.  **

Lance’s whole body went slack when he saw a familiar face standing on the far right of the photo; thick raven hair, sharp eyes, and a stoic expression that his heart knew well was just a front. There was a card pasted below the photo that included the names of those in the picture;

**_(from left to right) …Ichinose, Hiro; Kobayashi, Soichiro; Kogane, Akira…_ **

Flashes of his nightmare came back to him and Lance felt like he was being pulled under by those heavy memories. They were vivid as day, the blood on the dark sand a stark crimson. Charles had been secretly followed to his meeting point with Akira and that had cost them their lives.

Had he been more careful and more alert, then maybe, Akira wouldn’t have to die.

They would’ve made it out alive. Lance crumbled against the sickening feeling that everything was his fault.

“Akira...” Lance whispered, shaken. He didn’t know whether to feel shocked that his dreams were real memories of his past or shattered that he really lost Akira back then. But the fact that Lance was staring at Akira’s photo right now made his knees buckle that he had to press his hands against the glass to support himself. Lance roughly combed his fingers through his dark brown hair and his nails clawed his scalp through his undercut over and over again to ground himself to reality.

 

“Hey, sharpshooter.”

 

A familiar voice sliced through Lance’s moment of disbelief; a voice that he knew well in his heart. Slowly, Lance turned around and came face to face with another young man his age. His raven hair still had that familiar tuff on top of his head but it was pulled back into a half ponytail behind his head. He wore a white shirt underneath a plaid red button up, black jeans, and worn out red chucks. He sported black stud earrings and a leather cuff on his right wrist but it was his dark ethereal eyes that held Lance captive and it felt like he was freed from a burden that had been suffocating him for so long. He felt the relief and the joy of finding someone he lost a long time ago.

“What the fuck! You have a mullet!” Lance exclaimed; he couldn’t help it, it was the first thing that entered his circuit fried brain.

“Are you serious? Seventy two years and that’s the first thing you say to my face?” The guy cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been always bad at first impressions.”

“A-Am not!” Lance argued back. “Prove it!”

The guy was quiet but Lance felt conscious being watched by those familiar dark eyes. Then, he took a step closer towards him, then another, then another, until he was standing right in front of Lance.

“The first time we met,” he replied. “You almost shot me.”

“Well,” Lance forced out and stubbornly fought back the tears and the emotions that came at him. “You pressed a sword on my neck!” he huffed his chest and held the challenging gaze the guy gave him.

“Hey, just returning the favor.” A smug grin.

“Hm,” Lance chuckled and he twiddled with his thumbs and then he risked everything and dropped the endearment. “I guess. Sharp work, samurai.”

The playful glint in the other’s eye disappeared and melted into soft emotion in memory.

“We sat on top of that hill.” Lance spoke again. His feet seem to have grown minds of their own as he took a step towards the other man.

“You were shy too hold my hand.” He replied with a small smirk. “Then I kissed you.”

Tears prickled the corners of Lance’s eyes now, making them look like wet sapphires. Sobs bubbled up in the throat and a single one broke out like a sad hiccup. “I never got to tell you how I felt, Akira.”

Soft raven locks swayed when the other shook his head slightly. “It’s okay, Charles, I always knew you loved me.” Those dark eyes held unspoken emotion despite the playful sarcasm in his tone. “What kind of man would be crazy enough to risk his own life to elope with an enemy soldier, right?”

“But I got us killed!” Sob after sob broke free from Lance’s chest. His breathing was labored and his voice was thick with tears. “It’s my fault; I wasn’t careful enough!” Out of instinct and shame, Lance covered his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry, Akira.”

But amidst the turmoil and the darkness in his vision while he squeezed his eyes shut, Lance felt the other man gently but firmly pry his hands from his face. Lance lifted his face when the other cupped it within his hands that were clad in black fingerless gloves.

“It’s not.” He said. “We just weren’t meant to be with each other back then. But you know what?” gently, he wiped away a tear with a loving caress of his thumb against Lance’s cheek. “Now, we’re finally _free._ ”

“Free.” Lance repeated and the word made his heart flutter. Finally, he smiled. “I missed you, Akira.”

“I missed you too, Charles.” The other replied when he stepped and the two of them stood there in the middle of the exhibit. They stared at each other, drinking in the sight and drowning in the bursting happiness of being reunited but there was still a sense of awkwardness between them.

Lance felt like he should say something; anything, really. But found that all his conversational skills had left him for dead along with the instinct of wanting to kiss this familiar stranger that he knew had held his heart since the past life.

“Oh, yeah, I almost forgot,” The guy was the first to break the silence and he held out a hand to Lance. “My name is Keith, by the way. Nice to meet you, uhm…?”

 “Lance!” Blurting it out when he realized that they were calling each other by their past names, Lance took Keith’s hand into his own but held it with both his hands like he did on the hill shortly before their first kiss seventy two years ago. “The name’s Lance!”

“Hi, La—What the fu—!“ Keith wasn’t able to continue when Lance grabbed him and embraced him tightly like he never wanted to let go.

“I saw you…I watched you die!” His tears finally fell and Lance buried his face in the crook of Keith’s neck. It felt so familiar like he’s done it a million times before. “You were… all these years, I waited like you told me to but I thought you were just in my imagination.” He shook his head. “But I felt it… It felt it was real, I just wasn’t sure!”

“I know because I felt the same.” Keith replied gently and returned the embrace as he cradled Lance closely. “But I’m here now.”

“Don’t leave me like that again, please!” Lance’s plea was hushed but thick with emotion. “ _Please!_ ”

“Never again.” It was a promise tested by both death and time itself. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting.”

Lance swooped in and when their lips crashed against each other’s it felt like a curse was lifted, reuniting them. It felt like it had always been… it felt right.

It felt meant to be.

“Ahem.”

Lance and Keith broke apart when a new voice interrupted. Pidge stood in front of them with a look of confusion in her eyes and her lips were pursed together in silent inquiry. “Lance, there you are.”  Her golden brown eyes framed by round rimless glasses shifted to Keith.

“I didn’t know you were dating someone.” She continued and Keith glanced worriedly at Lance.

“Oh!” Lance laughed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I didn’t? Well, it’s really complicated, but let me introduce you guys first.” He gestured his arms to wave between the two after he wiped his tears with the collar of his shirt and sniffed once. “Pidge, this is Keith. Keith, this is my best friend Pidge. The other one’s Hunk but he’s out of town for the week. I’ll introduce you guys when he comes back this coming weekend!”

“Hey, I’m Pidge Gunderson, nice to meet ‘cha!” Pidge held out her hand and Keith shook it politely.

Keith replied. “It’s a pleasure. Thanks for keeping Lance out of trouble for me.”

“Oh, psh!” Pidge snorted and rolled her eyes when she regarded Lance who had a goofy smiled on his face. “Well, I’m sorry you ended up dating my buddy over here.” Pidge sighed. “He’s a handful, just a fair warning.”

“Oh, believe me, I know what it’s like already.” Keith shrugged and between them, his fingers laced with Lance’s and he turned to glance knowingly at him. “We go way, _way_ , back.”

Lance just burst out into happy laughter leaving Pidge utterly confused.

 

 

~~~

Translation:

Inay – Mother

Itay –Father


	2. Dance With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This is an ‘alternate ending’ type thing for “Wait For Me,” inspired by a night of exchanging headcanons and crying about how these two deserved better than what happened to them (I say this, yet I knew full-well what I was getting myself into from the moment I saw it)
> 
> Please enjoy this rare fluffy drabble, and give some love to “Wait For Me” itself and the mastermind behind it. They both deserve all the attention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A "What if---?" written by the talented knightlychika :)

Charles watched the scene before him with a smile that stretched ear to ear. He was _home_. The war was over.

 

Officers and grunts alike celebrated this with cheap beer, cheaper food, and drunken dance. So many of their comrades weren’t here to share the moment, and they would be remembered tomorrow. But for tonight, the ones who made it laughed with their loved ones.

 

By some miracle, Charles was one of them - and so was Akira.

 

They almost weren’t; there were any number of ways Charles knew of just off the top of his head that one or both of them could have been killed before this day came. _Especially_ if it was discovered that an American soldier and a Japanese kamikaze pilot had fallen in love and fought tooth and nail to hang onto each other. A lot of days it seemed they survived out of spite, but today, watching soldiers and their families dance and smile and _laugh_ , there was no spite to be found - only joy.

 

“It looks like Takashi is having a good time.”

 

Charles turned to Akira, and found him looking elsewhere. He traced his gaze and quickly found what Akira meant; young Takashi sat on the ground near the wall, accompanied by Charles’ niece and nephew, Mary and James. Takashi held his toy plane in one hand, moving it through the air as if it were in flight, while the other children held paper planes crudely folded from napkins. Every few seconds they collapsed and had to be refolded, but the kids didn’t seem to mind. If anything, they seemed eager to try new things that would work.

 

And for those few seconds when the napkin-planes held their shape, the children weren’t playing war or having a pretend dogfight. They just “flew” in formation and marvelled in the joy of imaginary flight.

 

Charles beamed as he watched the kids play. “They love him.”

 

Akira looked to Charles with raised eyebrows. “Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

 

The other nodded, “Yeah. They don’t even sit still this long for their mom, and they _know_ she’ll smack them silly if they don’t listen. No, they _really_ like his company.”

 

Akira slowly nodded before turning his attention back to his younger brother. “I’m glad. Honestly I’ve been worried about him - leaving home, starting a new life, learning a whole new culture? It’s not going to be easy.”

 

“No, but that’s what family’s for - to help keep us on our feet. Plus,” Charles nudged Akira’s shoulder, “His big brother has done a good job so far. You’ve given him the tools he needs to make it in life, and you love him. Can’t ask for more than that.”

 

This time when Charles and Akiras’ eyes met, the latter was smiling. Akira reached out and took his hand in his own, giving a slight squeeze in silent thanks. Charles returned the gesture in kind.

 

The jazz band playing at the front of the room changed songs, and Charles immediately perked up as he recognized the melody played by the trumpet. He jumped to his feet, and turned to Akira as he tried to pull him up as well.

 

“Dance with me!”

 

Akira looked wide-eyed at the people around them. “But--”

 

“Everyone here is too happy or too drunk to care. Come on - I love this song!”

 

Charles pulled Akira to his feet, then had to catch him as the dark-haired boy fell against him.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I told you, we’re dancing.”

 

“Nu-no, I-I can’t dance, Charles.”

 

“Sure you can. You just need someone to teach you the steps.”

 

“No really - I’m useless when it comes to coordinating like this--”

 

“Okay, I’ll go really slow then. First we hold hands like this,” Charles adjusted his grip on Akira’s hand so it was more comfortable for the both of them, before bringing their joined hands to shoulder-level. “Then you put your other hand around my back, and I’ll put mine behind your shoulder. Then we just sway back and forth easy-like, okay?”

 

Charles felt his hand gently come to rest on his back, just above his waist, then Akira’s eyes met Charles’ with a timid look. A rare thing to see on him, but not at all unpleasant. “Like that?”

 

He just nodded, before his hand found its place behind Akira’s shoulder.

 

“And now just step and sway.” Charles showed Akira what to do, and soon enough they were both following the slow, simple movements. Charles could feel Akira tense up every time he kicked him, but he couldn’t help but smile.

 

When they’d first started seeing each other, _he_ was the nervous one while Akira made everything seem so effortless. Lose your smokes? No worries, Akira has one. Chicken out of a moonlight kiss? Akira didn’t. Stamina in that hut their first night together? Ding ding ding Akira wins again.

 

It was good to see Akira out of _his_ element for once.

 

Once they’d settled into a steady rhythm, Charles leaned forward so they were chest-to-chest, and Charles’ head could actually hover over Akira’s shoulder. Just as the lyrics were about to start, Charles turned his head towards Akira’s ear. There was barely any space between them when Charles started singing low.

 

“Every day I love you just a little bit more, just a little bit more, just a little bit more. Every day I want you just a little bit more, than I did the day before.”

 

He felt Akira shudder, and really wished that he could see his face right now. It was probably bright red and worth a thousand words. But still, this moment of closeness was worth so much more. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t have plenty more opportunities to see it in the future.

 

“Boy tries to tell me he can’t coordinate - look at you. You’re graceful as a gazelle right now.”

 

Akira turned his head into Charles’ shoulder and grumbled, eliciting a laugh from the other.

 

“It sounds like I’m teasing, but I really mean it. You’re doing good.”

 

Another grumble, then a muffled “thank you” met Charles’ ears.

 

After a moment of relative quiet, Akira turned his head so he could be heard. “Charles, will we be okay?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean . . will it be safe for us? For you, me . . for Takashi?”

 

“Well, as far as anyone knows, Akira Kogane died in the line of duty. Akira _Shirogane_ and his little brother Takashi are Japanese-Americans from the east coast, and you’re just another American pilot who helped win the war. To everyone here, you’re a hero.”

 

Akira’s eyes went to the floor, and his posture loosened as the emotional weight appeared both in his shoulders and his face. “But at what cost?”

 

Charles’ heart sank as he realized to what Akira referred. This American victory had come at such a high cost for his people, and it was a wound that would probably hurt for a long time. Especially now that he would be living in the country of the people who had so devastated his home, where the bombings would be praised.

 

“Akira, I’m . . .” Charles released a heavy sigh, “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.”

 

Akira’s head pulled back, and his gaze met Charles’ once more. “It wasn’t your fault - you had nothing to do with it.”

 

“I know, but . . still, I’m sorry.” Charles shrugged, his expression pained, “I don’t know what I can do to help, but I’m here for you no matter what, okay?”

 

Akira smiled at Charles. It was a fatigued, heavy smile of someone who’d seen way too much death for his young age - but an appreciative, genuine one nonetheless.

 

His hand moved from Charles’ waist to the back of his head, and gently pulled him closer. They touched foreheads, then Akira exhaled with a subtle, almost unnoticeable nod.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Nii-san!” The two looked down at the small voice next to them, and found young Takashi staring excitedly up at his brother.

 

Akira and Charles released each other and both turned their attention to the boy.

 

“Nii-san! Look what Mary drew for me!” Takashi held up a piece of paper, for both Akira and Charles to see. There was a scribbled drawing which took up most of the page, though it was admittedly difficult to make out exactly what it was supposed to be.

 

“Is that . .” Akira eyed the drawing, “a plane?”

 

“Mm-hmm! It’s _my_ plane. Doesn’t it look so cool?”

 

“It sure does, little man!” Charles looked to Mary, who was standing by her mother and James. Charles smiled at her, his raised eyebrows showing how impressed he was with her artwork. The little girl returned a beaming smile of her own.

 

Takashi eagerly looked to his brother, “When we find a new house, can I put it on the wall in my room? I wanna keep it forever!”

 

Akira nodded, smiling along with Charles. “Of course.”

 

The three looked up as Charles’ sister Evelyn approached, with Mary and James at her side. She smiled at Takashi then Akira, before her focus settled on Charles. “We’re about to head home. Did you still want us to watch Takashi for the night?”

 

Charles turned to Akira, “Are you okay with them taking him back to their place? Robert and Evelyn live nearby, and have a telephone in case you want to check up on him.”

 

Akira dazed confusedly at Charles for a few seconds, then looked to Evelyn, then back to Charles. Finally he nodded, “I . . think that should be fine.”

 

Evelyn’s face lit up with a smile. “Excellent. You can give us a ring then when you’re ready to pick him up, or need us to come get you, or anything.” She looked to Takashi, “Say goodnight to your brother, Takashi.”

 

The boy stepped forward and hugged Akira, “Goodnight, Nii-san!”

 

“Goodnight.” Akira held him tight, enough that it made Charles’ heart ache a little.

 

After a few seconds they released each other, and Takashi surprised Charles with a hug too. “Goodnight, Charles!”

 

“Goodnight, buddy. You have fun, okay?”

 

“Okay!” Takashi released Charles and turned to his new friends. The three children linked hands, Takashi still holding his toy plane, before the children charged toward the door. The kids’ father Robert followed after them, while Evelyn remained behind.

 

She looked between both Charles and Akira. “You two stay safe tonight, you hear? I won’t have my baby brother come back from the war just to lose him to some crazy person sticking their nose in someone else’s business.”

 

Charles nodded seriously, understanding full-well what she meant. “Of course, Evie.”

 

Evelyn stared at him a few seconds before she finally nodded, apparently happy with his answer. She pulled him into a tight hug.

 

“I’m so happy to have you home, Charlie.”

 

He beamed and clung to her, “I’m happy to _be_ home.”

 

Evelyn released Charles, then locked Akira in a tight grip before he could escape. He stiffened and turned his shocked gaze to Charles, who only smiled sympathetically.

 

“Welcome to the family, Akira.” Evelyn muttered in his ear, and his stiff posture slowly relaxed. After a few seconds he even lightly returned the gesture.

 

“Thank you,” he whispered.

 

Charles’ smile remained in place as he watched the scene. He’d known Evelyn would have no qualms about Akira; she’d always been Charles’ confidant and best friend. Akira, on the other hand, had to have been nervous about meeting Charles family - with good reason. Evelyn’s kindness was a rarity, and Charles was under no illusion that they’d meet plenty of people in coming years that wouldn’t be so accepting. Still, getting just a single moment of peace like this was all Charles wanted right now.

 

After a moment Evelyn stepped back, and once more eyed them both. “Alright, well. I’ll see you two tomorrow.” After receiving confirming nods, she turned and headed after her family.

 

Charles waved as she walked through the crowd. Once out of ear-shot, Akira turned his focus back to Charles.

 

“I take it there’s a reason you sent my brother off with your family?”

 

“Ooohhh nothing grand or exciting, I just had plans for the evening is all.”  Charles turned a flirtatious smile on his counterpart, “Which may involve us finding a place that serves better food than this dump, maybe even a place with good beer, then a nice quiet stroll back to the hotel Evie got for us. Aaaaand maybe some . . other things.”

 

Charles’ smile widened at the deep red color that washed over Akira’s face. God, this boy would be the death of him.

 

Akira averted his gaze with an embarrassed smile. “Things you don’t want Takashi to accidentally walk in on.”

 

“Now you’re getting it.” Charles put an arm around Akira’s shoulder, an inconspicuous gesture yet still a way for them to be close as Charles pulled him towards the door.

 

“So what d’ya say? You ready to start our lives as civilians?”

 

Akira laughed and leaned against Charles. “Can’t wait.”


	3. Marry Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set one year later from our main story, Lance and Keith visit the Philippines to the same place where they were torn apart.   
> It doesn't always have to hold painful memories for them; they can give it a whole new meaning. A place where two lives ended, two began as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asked for tumblr prompts to help me ease my way back into writing after many months of thesis. This piece is rushed and written on a whim so I apologize for any errors.

**February 14, 2018**

Salt was in the air and the bay walk was crowded with people; vendors, joggers, tourists, and the like. For a small country, the Philippines was packed with people but Lance never thought that he would be back here. 

Seeing Manila Bay as Lance Delgado felt surreal. Not because of the people or the postcard pictures of Manila or even the threat of pick pockets that loomed in every city. The last time Lance stood on this very ground, he was named Charles McClain. He fought for the US in the 2nd infantry battalion as a sniper and he had to watch his lover die in front of him. 

His lover, the light in the darkness of his nights, the flower which bloomed in the battlefield; Akira, a kamikaze pilot for the 26th Imperial Fleet. 

“Are you, okay?” 

The familiar voice sliced through the clouds of his thoughts like sunshine. When he turned to look beside him, Keith was by his side, looking at him with worry in his eyes. Eyes the color of amethysts that shone bright from within with life like the stars from the very heavens placed themselves in them. 

 _Akira._  

But now, in this time and place that fate had reunited them, his name was Keith.

Akira had returned to him as Keith and Lance couldn’t be happier at such a gift from destiny. 

“I am.” Lance nodded. He re-adjusted his bag pack and stared at the setting sun that slowly sank to kiss the horizon covered by the sea. Tanker ships and freight carriers were silhouettes in the distance while the yacht club had turned on the colorful lights that adorned their boats. The night life started to bloom with ever second that passed by. 

He turned to watch the setting sun. “The brochure said that that Manila Bay is famous for its sunset. For me, it’s different. It’s painful.” Keith huffed. The back of Lance’s hand gently brushed against Keith’s, making the other briefly glance at him. 

“That doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way, right?” Lance smiled at his boyfriend. Their fingers intertwined and Lance lifted them to plant a gentle kiss on Keith’s knuckles. 

“Lance...”

“Come on, sweetheart.” Lance tugged on Keith’s hand. “Let’s come into terms with it, yeah?” 

“Together, huh?” Keith grinned at him. Shadows danced on his porcelain features as the sunset cast down on them. That smile that Lance had always love to see. The smile that had set his heart beating even seventy three years ago. 

“Yeah.” 

it wasn’t the same; the sand that absorbed their blood had been swallowed in not just by the tide, but the sea itself. There was a large cargo ship that was docked nearby where the ruined warehouse used to be. Lance and Keith hopped off the bay walk railing and onto one of the massive piled rocks that served as breakwater. Lance felt a bittersweet pain in his heart; a pang of pain from the memories that were engraved in his mind. His hands curled into fists on his sides as he stared at the dark water of the bay. 

“Do you remember, Keith?” Lance asked quietly. 

Keith nodded. “I do. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t think about it before I met you again.” A shaky breath slipped out from his lips. “I don’t remember how dying felt but I remember the way you looked when I went down.” Keith took a moment to swallow the lump that barred his throat. “And I think that’s even more painful.” Then, he shook his head. “Anyway, bastard’s probably burning in hell.”

“You’re right, he probably is and I couldn’t care less.” Lance glanced up at the sunset that painted sky. The streaks of blues and oranges swirled along the clouds. Stars had started to dot the darker parts of the sky that the sun had left behind. “But now that I think about it, Keith?” he turned to look at his beloved. “I’d rather die than to live through the war without you in my life.” 

“Lance...” 

“This place doesn’t have to hold pain for us.” Lance fully turned to face Keith now. He reached up to cup the other’s face and he gently caressed the pad of his thumb across Keith’s fair cheek. “This was our grave and at the same time, it could be something else with a new meaning.” 

“What are you talking about, Lance?” Keith looked confused now. 

“I’m talking about something that I should have done seventy three years ago.” Lance replied before he glanced from side to side to make sure that they had privacy. The rocks they stood on were uneven so standing would have to do for now. 

Lance let go of Keith’s hand and fished something from his pocket; a velvet box.

“I’ve always asked you to wait for me.” Lance began and the box gave off a soft click when Lance opened the lid. Inside was a thick white gold band adorned with a single blue stone embedded deep into the metal. 

“Holy shit.” Keith sucked in sharply. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Yeah, I’m fucking serious.” Lance smiled at him. “I’ve loved you before as Charles and I love you now as Lance. And you know what? I will continue to love you no matter what name I have or which lifetime I’m in. I will always find you and I will always love you, Keith.” a soft laugh followed. “But this time is ours. It’s finally ours and I won’t waste it.” 

Those blue eyes locked deeply with dark violet ones that stared back at him widely.

“Keith,” Lance took a deep breath and steeled his gut before he chickened out. He hasn’t felt this afraid since seventy three years ago but this time, it was losing Keith to rejection instead. “I’ve...I’ve always asked you to wait for me but I won’t make you wait anymore.”

Carefully, Lance plucked out the ring from the velvet slit where it rested in the box and lifted it to eye-level in offering. “I ask you a different question this time.” his voice shook on the edges. “Keith, will you marry me?” 

There was only the sound of waves as the tide came in. In the distance, the blurry white noise of crowds and city traffic lifted along the sea breeze. Over the years, Manila Bay had become crowded and city pollution was evident. But to them, to Akira and Charles; to Keith and Lance... it will always have a meaning. 

_Always._

“Yes.” 

Lance snapped out of the dizzying anxiety and stared at Keith like the other grew a pair of horns on his nose. “What?”

“I said, yes!” Keith rolled his eyes but there was a small smile that graced his lips. “You’ve kept me waiting for this day too, you know.”

“U-Uhm, better late than never, right?” Lance laughed nervously. “I mean... well, I...”

“Oh, just put a ring on it.” Keith snorted but he smile fully now and that smile, those star-crested eyes twinkling in the Manila Bay sunset were the most beautiful Lance had ever seen. When Keith held out his right hand, Lance slipped the ring into place.

It was a perfect fit just like everything was right now.

_Perfect._

It was Lance who yelped when Keith threw his arms around his neck and yanked him close. Their lips crashed against each others awkwardly at first; Keith was too excited, but soon, their lips melded together and the kiss became lovely, warm, and again,  _perfect._

The sun disappeared underneath the blanket of the sea in the horizon and they broke the kiss, both breathless. Keith grinned at Lance and he turned to cup his left hand on the side of his mouth before he shouted at the sea.

“Hey, Iverson!” Keith lifted his right ring finger like he flipped the bird. “FUCK YOU!” 

“Keith!” Lance gasped but then he burst out laughing. “That’s publicly obscene! We’re in a foreign country!”

“Meh,” Keith shrugged. “I just wanted to rub it in his face. I won’t get another chance.”

“Oh believe me,” Lance sighed as he wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist. “We have forever to prove him wrong.” He leaned in to plant a playful kiss on Keith’s lips. “So, you wanna find a place to eat? I heard Philippine malls are massive! We can find a nice restaurant then maybe,” he leaned in closer to whisper into the other’s ear. “we can continue to have fun when we get back to our hotel room. Gotta consummate the engagement, after all. Or would you rather we do it in a hut like we used to?” 

Keith playfully punched Lance’s shoulder but there was a blush that had crept up to his cheeks. He bit his lower lips to hold back the smile of happiness that he wore. “Sounds great.” 

Lance then took Keith by the hand and they hopped over the stone barrier and back into the sidewalk. “Come on, we gotta hurry. The Philippines has shitty traffic and the uber’s gonna get pricey once evening rush hour hits.” 

“Always so resourceful.” But Keith paused then sincerely said; “I love you, Lance.”

“I love you too, Keith.” Lance replied and squeezed Keith’s fingers as they intertwined, his gaze softening. “I always have and I always will.”

**Author's Note:**

> For those wondering about 1940s Shiro (in the main fic, not the What If fic), if you listened to your history teachers, you probably caught that one clue I sneaked in.
> 
> I'm sorry, fam.


End file.
